Suspending-bracket for ceilings



' (No Model.)

H. B. SEELY. SUSPENDING BRACKET FOR GEIIJ' INGS- No 540,693. Patented June 11, 1895.

1' scams PETERS ca, Pno'rmuma. wuumawn o c UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE,

HERMAN B. SEELY, OF OI-IICAGO,-ILLINOIS.

SUSPENDING-BRAVCKEVT FOR CEILINGS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 540,693, dated June 11, 1895. Application filed Octolier18,1894=. Serial No. 526,256. (No model.)

To all-whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HERMAN B. SEELY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefullmprovements in Suspending-Brackets for Ceilings, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in IQ suspending brackets for ceilings, its object being to provide a light, cheap, simple and efiective means for suspending ceilings from metal beams in the construction of fire proof buildings;

The invention is fully described and explained in this specification and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which'- Figure 1 is a transverse vertical section of a beam, showing in elevation asuspending- 2o bracket involving my invention, the-bracket being supported by the lower flange of the beam. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the bracket, Figs. 2 and 4 are transverse-vertical sections of beams, showing the manner of z 5 bringing the bracket into working relation to the beam. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of a portion of a beam, showing in end elevation a modified form of the bracket. In Figs. 1 and 2A is the web, and A, is a lower flange of an I-beam of ordinary form; and B is a plate preferably of sheet metal, formed with a central opening having at its upper margin two overhanging jaws, B, B, separated by a space, 1), less than the width 5 of the flange, A. The jaws, B, B, which are in the same plane as the plate, B are adapted to rest upon the marginal parts of the flange, A, and are preferably reinforced by lugs, b, struck up from the body of the plate and 40 adapted to conform to the upper surfaces of the flange, A, and give the jaws a greater bearing surface and greater stability thereon. The lower edge of the plate,B, is bent at right angles to the plane of the plate to form a shelf,-B anda series of lugs, b b b struck up from the metal of the plate, are bent into the plane of the shelf, B but on the opposite side of the plate therefrom. The shelf, B and lugs, b 19 are adapted to form supports for fire proof ceiling plates, 0, O, as shownin Fig. 1, the bracket being arranged upon the beams at intervals corresponding to the width of the ceiling plates.

' The bracket thus described, may be brought into its working relation to the beam in the manner shown in Fig. 3, one margin of the flange of the beam being brought into the recess beneath one of the jaws, B, of the bracket and the other jaw being then moved upward until it passes the opposite margin of the flange when the bracket may be brought into the position shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 3, thespace between the two jaws, B,

B, is sufficient to permit the second jaw, B, to pass the margin of the flange, A, without springing the plate; but I prefer to make the spacebetween the jaws somewhat less in comparison with the width of the flange, this construetion rendering it necessary to spring the shelf, B somewhat in bringing the bracket to its working position, In either form the space immediately below the jaws is considerably wider than the flange of the beam, and this form is a material convenience in applying the bracket to the beam.

' .Fig, 5 shows a modification in which the shelf, B at the bottom of the bracket lies between two plates, B, B, each formed substantially like the plate, B. Shown inFigs. 1 to 4:. When this form is used, the lugs, 12, 6 are dispensed with, since the parallel jaws formed on the two plates afford all, the hearing necessary upon the flange of the beam, and the shelf, B between the two plates furnishes a stable support for a ceiling strip,D, lying between the two plates and resting on the shelf. The ceiling strip, D, is preferably of channel iron as shown, but may be of any form adapted to support metallic lathing, or other suitable ceiling material. vIt is evident from an inspection of the drawings, that when the brackets are in position and weight is applied to the shelf, B and'lugs, b 19 on opposite sides of the plate, B, the vertical strain tends to hold the jaws together, since they cannot be separated without bending upward the center of the supporting shelf. The bracket forms, therefore, a secure ceiling support, very strong in proportion to its weight and extremely light and simple be- ICO cause of its material and the ease with which it may be formed.

The jaws, B, B, of each bracket being in the same plane as the plate from which they are formed are extremely rigid in proportion to their weight, and since the plate and jaws are vertical when in use and must support the weight of the ceiling plates, this rigidity is of the greatest importance, both as a matter of security and a matter of economy. In fact, brackets formed as shown in the drawings, with the jaws and their connecting plate in the same vertical plane are very much more effective, weight for weight, than any possible construction in which jaws of sheet metal are simply wrapped or bent about the flanges of a beam.

The form of my invention shown in the drawings may be either absolutely rigid, or flexible at the center of its-base, the flexible construction being, however, preferred. It is evident that this flexibility may be secured either by forming the bracket of a single piece of sheet metal as shown and described, or by making the jaws on separate pieces flexibly connected at the center of the base of the bracket. The one-part form shown in the drawings is evidently simpler than the twopart form suggested and is preferable for that reason.

Having now described and explained my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A ceiling-supporting bracket comprising a plate formed with lateral projections adapted to support ceiling material and having at its upper margin opposite undercut jaws in the same plane as the plate and. adapted to rest upon the flange of a beam.

2. A ceiling-supportin g bracket comprising a plate of sheet metal having at its lower edge approximately horizontal projections formed from the metal of the plate and adapted to support ceiling material and having at its upper margin opposite undercut jaws in the same plane as the plate and adapted to rest upon the flange of a beam.

3. The combination with a beam formed with a flange at its lower margin, of a ceilingsupporting bracket comprising a plate formed with lateral projections adapted to support ceiling material and having at its upper edge opposite undercut jaws in the same plane as the plate and separated by a space less than the width of the flange of the beam.

4. The combination with a beam having a flange at its lower margin, of a ceiling-supporting bracket comprising a plate formed with lateral projections adapted to support ceiling material and having at its upper edge oppositely placed undercut jaws, the inner faces of the jaws being separated by a space less than the width of the flange, and the width of the space beneath the jaws being greater than the width of the flange.

5. The plate, B, having at its upper mar gin the opposite undercut jaws, B, B, and at its lower margin the shelf, B

6.. The plate,B, having at its upper margin the opposite undercut jaws, B, B, formed with reinforcing lugs, b, b, and having at its lower margin oppositely extendinglateral projections integral with it.

7. The plate, B, having at its upper mar gin the jaws, B, B, and reinforcing lugs, Z), I), and at its lower margin the shelf, B and lugs, 6 h all the parts enumerated being formed in a single piece stamped from a sheet of metal.

8. A ceiling-supporting bracket comprising two opposite undercut jaws adapted to rest upon the margin of the flange of a beam and connected by a flexible base adapted to lie beneath the flange of the beam and having shelves adapted to support ceiling material.

HERMAN B. SEELY. Witnesses:

CHARLES 0. SHERVEY, A. I. H. EBBESEN. 

